A federal grand jury has indicted Isaac Rodriguez, 26, of Arvin, on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents state that Rodriguez was found with a firearm after his arrest on warrants related to probation violations. Due to prior felony convictions—including taking a vehicle, evading arrest, and previously being found as a felon in possession of a firearm—Rodriguez is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
The investigation involved the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Baty is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rodriguez could face up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will be determined by the court based on statutory factors and federal Sentencing Guidelines. The indictment notes that these are allegations only and that Rodriguez is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. According to the Department of Justice initiative, this operation brings together resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while aiming to reduce violent crime across communities.
